It was reported today that Swedish DJ, musician, producer and remixer Avicii was found dead in Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28.
The EDM star, who was born Tim Bergling on 8 September 1989 in Stockholm, Sweden, made his name on MySpace.
Initially, he'd wanted his stage name to be Avici, after the lowest level of Buddist hell, but that username was already taken on the site so he added the extra 'i'.
Although he apparently started mixing in his bedroom at the age of eight, it was in 2011 that the song 'LE7ELS' propelled him into the mainstream.
The track contains a vocal sample of Etta James' 1962 gospel-inspired hit 'Something's Got A Hold On Me' and elevated him out of the electronic music underground and into the world of mainstream pop.
The song became a number one hit in his native Sweden and on the dance music charts in the USA, and was also a top ten hit in Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the UK.
He was twice nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording - in 2012 for the song 'Sunshine' and the following year for 'LE7ELS', two years after its initial release.
The success of that song opened many doors for the Swede, and for his second album, Stories, which was released in 2015, and which featured collaborations with such big names in the world of pop as Coldplay's Chris Martin, Wyclef Jean, Robbie Williams and The Killers' Brandon Flowers. The album reached number 9 on the UK albums chart.
Not all of Avicii's encounters with the mainstream were positive, however. His song 'Penguin' was sampled by Leona Lewis on her 2011 single 'Collide', but wasn't originally credited.
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As a result, Avicii tried to block the single's release. Eventually an out of court settlement determined they would work on the song together.
Tributes have been pouring in on Twitter since news of his death broke.
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Rising pop star Dua Lipa tweeted "Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x," while Grammy Award-winning producer and DJ Zedd tweeted: "No words can describe the sadness I'm feeling right now, hearing about Avicii passing away.... Thoughts go out to his family and friends..."
Robbie Williams also posted a tribute: "Bless you Avicii ....Much love ..RIP xx"
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